I had been looking for a way to remote wipe my Curve in the event it was lost or stolen.

I was interested not only in a program that could wipe the data in the internal memory but also wipe the Media Card.

After a few emails to Dex Mobile they offered to send me a demo copy of version 1.2 which functions for 3 days prior to requiring purchase.

I should also clear up a version difference you will notice on Dex Mobiles website and post a on BlackBerry Forums states the current version is 1.1. which it is correct. Version 1.2 has been set aside for request only at this point and is not offered to the general public. To quote Dex Mobile support xxx8220;In the current public version 1.1 of Roblock BlackBerry Theft Recovery, we have disabled the remote erase functionality as it was beyond the perception of less technical users.xxx8221; I totally agree with this because if you do not know what you are doing you can accidently erase your data and media card.

The setup:

The install was a simple OTA installation that took less than a minute.
After Install you are given a red circle icon. Upon launching the program for the first time you are asked to set a password. This password is used to access and configure Roblock in the future and is also the password used to remote wipe the device.

After setting the password you are presented with a simple interface to configure the software.
Your first option is a check box to enable Roblock. After that a Recipient box to type in the phone number of someone you want notified if your BlackBerry is used with another SIM card. You can also choose a number on this same screen via a link to your address book. Next is a message box that has a default message in it to send to your selected recipient. There is a Send Contacts check box that if checked and the SIM card changed will send all of your contacts via secret SMS to the recipient you setup above.

The last option is the Save & Exit option at the bottom. Once making your changes and setting your configuration you must choose this option to activate the software.

Now that I have configured my software it is time to test.

The first test is what will happen when I insert a different SIM card into the phone. Immediately after the BlackBerry rebooted the recipient I designated got the following two SMS message about a SIM change in my phone.

Roblock message-
Hi, Troy's phone has been stolen or lost Please keep this message for later reference.
Do NOT contact this number.
RB+ password WIPE
(The above is a custom message I wrote and I added the Wipe instruction at the end of the message so I would always know the command.)

Roblock message-
Location Info:
NetworkId-608
CountryId-784
CellId-10773
BaseStationId-57
LocationId-32
RoutingAreaId-1
currentIMSI-310260.30.000000.3
(The second of the two messages includes basic network information as well as the SIM card number. I edited mine above for security reasons. As a result of these messages coming as SMS you also get the phone number of who is using your BlackBerry now)

My second test was to wipe my phone. I have to say I was extremely worried about running this test but I wanted to make sure it worked before I decided to purchase. To prepare for this test I first used Desktop Manager to Sync. I then ran a backup. In addition because this software also will wipe the media card I backed up the contents as well.

With a knot in my stomach I send an SMS to my BlackBerry with a message that simply said:
RB+ ********* WIPE

(The ******* represents my password)

I then noticed instantly the network activity indicator on my Cure going crazy and the phone was unresponsive to the trackball or application button.

The phone I sent the SMS from instantly began receiving my address book via SMS. It was very basic information which included about 6 contacts per SMS as just raw text but more than enough to get you in touch with someone and recreate your address book if you donxxx8217;t sync or have a backup.

I also noticed almost immediately that my wallpaper had disappeared which would make sense because it was stored on the media card. Two minutes and 45 seconds later the phone I sent the wipe command from received an SMS that simply stated xxx8220;Handheld Wipe Successfulxxx8221;

I then grabbed my Curve to verify the damage. I was very excited to see that my device was wiped clean and my media card was blank!

You can guess what I did next, I restored my backup and copied all the files back to my media card and was back using my Curve in about 15 minutes.

The bottom line:

Two flavors of the software exist at this point. Version 1.1 which would just alert you to your phone getting a new SIM card in it and allowing you to give that information to the authorities or attempting to contact the person yourself. Which in all honesty I donxxx8217;t see as being very helpful overall. It may help you get the device back but to me I would also like the ability to destroy the data stored on it. Version 1.2 gives you the above plus allows you to wipe your data at anytime. Version 1.2 is going to be my choice to purchase. If I loose track of my phone at anytime I will simply send a wipe command and if I locate it I will just restore a backup. I am very good about backups.

Pros:

Simple Interface
Only $9.95
Piece of mind that you can wipe all of your data (Version 1.2)
Fast email support response

Cons:

You can easily exit the program without activating it and no warning is given which leaves you unprotected.

You can follow this link to Dex Mobiles website and product documentation:

Disclosure:
I have nothing to do with Dex Mobile. I simply asked them for a solution and they provided one. I was so happy to find this solution I wanted to write a review. The software they sent me was trial only and I like anyone else will have to purchase it.

Last edited by TroyDBrown : 03-02-2008 at 06:48 PM.
Reason: Spelling as I find it

DexMobile is happy to announce a 50% discount on Roblock Theft Recovery for all Blackberry Forum members.
Forum members can now get Roblock Theft Recovery with Remote Wipe feature for just US $ 4.95 instead of US $ 9.95.
All you have to do is to enter the following promotional Code while purchasing Roblock from our product page.

With the exception of the SD card, after 10 bad pass attempts the BB's memory self destructs right?

Would this not kill roblock? Would roblock text the person that you have as your friend after like 5 bad attempts?

If an experienced theft got a hold of this, they could immediately do a complete wipe using a computer and thus still keep the SD card info AND prevent them from having the new SIM number sent to the friend, completely thwarting the purpose of this? (Unless of course the wipe command was already sent to the phone I guess).

If the wipe command goes off, all software is gone right? How would it text the new persons SIM # after its been wiped, or does it not wipe the program, just databases/SD?

Would it be possible to also forward along the GPS coordinates for those that have integrated GPS capabilities?

But hey for the $5 promotion its not a bad idea and looks fairly well implemented given the requirements and device limitations.

We sorry to hear that you are having trouble in installing roblock on your phone, Although the application seems to working fine for the other customers - we will start looking into the issue and will get back to you at the earliest.

With the exception of the SD card, after 10 bad pass attempts the BB's memory self destructs right?

Would this not kill roblock? Would roblock text the person that you have as your friend after like 5 bad attempts?

If an experienced theft got a hold of this, they could immediately do a complete wipe using a computer and thus still keep the SD card info AND prevent them from having the new SIM number sent to the friend, completely thwarting the purpose of this? (Unless of course the wipe command was already sent to the phone I guess).

If the wipe command goes off, all software is gone right? How would it text the new persons SIM # after its been wiped, or does it not wipe the program, just databases/SD?

Would it be possible to also forward along the GPS coordinates for those that have integrated GPS capabilities?

But hey for the $5 promotion its not a bad idea and looks fairly well implemented given the requirements and device limitations.

In response to my own question, 10 bad pass attempts all your personal data is wiped, but apps stay, therefore the software would still be there and at least have the ability to submit the information and identify you based on your PIN (but does it w/ out log in info stored?)

Still this doesnt stop somebody from immediately moving the battery / sim card, then wipe the app when he gets home? Just seems like such a false sense of security. Then again I doubt any thief would know the software was on there especially if the screen was locked, and bother to do any precautions like that...

I got it, it was in the spam folder again. I had some trouble with the key and full field but figured it out. The app works and there is no error. Since I have a CDMA I know there is no SIM option, but when I set the recipients phone number which is the same from my contacts and then click verify nothing is sent out to my recipient. Is there supposed to be a test message sent out? Also when conducting a wipe, do I send a text to my phone and do I omit the <> signs around the password, and is there supposed to be spaces between RB+passwordwipe or RB+ password wipe?